Mr. Potato Head is a staple in my therapy bag. Here are 4 ways you can practice language skills with this toy.
Identifying Body Parts
Practice identifying body parts.
- Where is his hand?
- Show me his hat.
- Which one is his ear?
I recommend giving 3 options at a time. Having tons of pieces laying out can be visually overwhelming. Only having two pieces gives your child a 50/50 chance of guessing the correct answer, we want to make them think a little bit!
Following Directions
Practice following multi-step directions.
- Put on his hat.
- Put on his hat, then his shoes.
- Put on his shoes after you put on his hat.
If your child has difficulty with this one, give some gestural cues. “Put on his hat (point to hat, then to the top of Mr. Potato Head’s head).”
Labeling
Practice labeling what you see.
- He has blue shoes! You have blue shoes too.
- His glasses go on his eyes. Look, Mommy is wearing her glasses!
- He has two hands. His hands are small and your hands are big!
Less is more. If your child labels an item with one word (“shoes”) you model two words (“blue shoes”).
Requesting
Practice making requests.
- Do you want more?
- Do you want his hat or his eyes?
- Do you want his blue shoes or red shoes?
For this one, I recommend that you hold all of the pieces. If the child has access to all of the pieces they are less likely to communicate with you. Create an opportunity for them to communicate and make a request!
What is your favorite way to use Mr. Potato Head? Tell me in the comments below! Don’t have a Mr. Potato Head of your own? Click here to shop now.
